Zion Williamson Admits He Didn’t Really Want To Leave Duke

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 05: Zion Williamson of the Duke Blue Devils speaks during a press conference after being awarded the AP Player of the Year award prior to the 2019 NCAA men's Final Four at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 5, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images)

With the NBA Draft Lottery taking place tonight, every team will be hoping the odds are in their favor so they can land the No. 1 overall pick. As you’d expect, almost every prediction has Zion Williamson becoming the top selection regardless of which team is first on the board.

In his only season of college basketball, Williamson put the entire basketball world on notice. His athleticism is second to none, he constantly hustles, and almost every dunk of his sent the crowd into a frenzy.

There was no question that Williamson would be a one-and-done prospect. Analysts ranked him as the best player in the NCAA from the start of the season.

Although Williamson’s time with the Blue Devils didn’t last very long, it’s clear that his bond with the university is pretty strong.

In fact, the ACC Player of the Year admitted that he didn’t really wanted to leave Duke.

“You get this college experience once,” he says. “If you’re in a situation like mine, where you’re one and done, I’m just trying to make the most of what I got. I love Duke, and honestly, I don’t want to leave. If I didn’t have as much at stake, I probably would stay for another year. But I can’t.

“This was the best year of my life. So if I could come back for a second year I would, but unfortunately that’s just not the reality we live in. The reality we live in is [that] my ultimate dream is the NBA. It’s what I’ve been dreaming about as a kid so I have to pursue that. And I have to take care of my family.”

His collegiate career was impressive even though it lasted only one season.